Blast from the Past with… Emmerdale’s
His latest role may have taken him worlds away from the Dales – but as far as Adam Fielding is concerned, there’s no place like home…
Last seen legging it from Emmerdale for a ferry to Rotterdam, Kirin Kotecha was a desperate man – fleeing the law having run over and killed Paddy’s mistress Tess. Unwilling to confess his crime, Kirin abandoned his baby son Johnny and now finds himself in South America – where actor Adam Fielding, who played Kirin, reckons he probably still lives to this day…
“I’d like to think Kirin – and his dad Rakesh – are living it up in Argentina somewhere,” suggests the 25-year-old, as he joins us to chat about his exciting new role in sci-fi series Krypton. “But where do you go after doing what he did? It’s not likely he’ll have been able to leave his history in the Dales behind him. So it’s more probable he’s fishing somewhere, trying to make ends meet!”
Having joined the cast of Krypton
– which tells the tale of Superman’s family history, and premieres on the US Syfy channel this month – Adam’s new role takes him far away from the Dales. Playing a character who works with Superman’s grandfather has been a great adventure for Adam, and he’s still pinching himself for winning the role.
“I auditioned to play a different character, and didn’t get it,” reveals Adam, who left Emmerdale in 2016.
“But then they called me back in as the series’ producer really liked my audition tape – and two days later I was filming in Serbia! We finished a long time ago, and it’s been driving me nuts not being able to talk about it before now. You never know how these things will pan out, though – so it’s exciting that Krypton is finally on screen!”
The leap from the village to the planet Krypton may equate to millions of miles in interstellar terms, but Adam felt at home on set – and he has his old cast mates back in the Dales to thank for it.
“When you’re getting emails from the Warner Bros studios, it can feel a bit, ‘Woah!’” he admits. “A lot of the guys were nervous – but I recall someone saying while I was still at Emmerdale that you needn’t feel uncomfortable on any set, as you’ll cover everything you need to know on a soap. And do you know what, they were spot on! It’s because of the foundation that I experienced at Emmerdale that I didn’t feel any nervousness whatsoever.”
As a devoted fan of martial arts – he hosts a regular podcast on the topic of MMA wrestling with his former Dales co-star Michael Parr (Ross) – Adam was delighted that his Krypton character’s physical prowess gave him the chance to show off some of his own skills.
“I love the physicality of stunts – and my character fights with Superman’s grandad at one point, which is crazy!” grins the star. “I’d love to train professionally so I can do all of my own stunts. In my first year at Emmerdale, Kirin had to run into a pond to save Cain, and the show’s insurance company was a bit upset with me as I refused to put on the protective suit. But if I get the right qualifications, I can properly Tom Cruise it up!”
While we’re yet to find out if Krypton will air in the UK, Adam promises he’ll be back on British telly soon – although that’s all he’s allowed to tell us for now…
“I’m filming something, but I can’t tell you which show it’s for!” he teases. “In this industry you’re always looking out for the next job, and you can never be complacent. I consider myself very lucky – it can be tough out there!”